Dr. Bill Welker

Dr. William Welker Interview w/Don Lehman
'63 PIAA State Wrestling Champion!
'65 PIAA State Wrestling Runner-up
  Shamokin's Bill Welker was a 1963 PIAA State Champion @ (95lbs.) and a 1965
PIAA State Wrestling Runner-up @ 112lbs.  Bill's brother, Floyd, was a 1959 PIAA State
Champion @ (120lbs.) and a 1960 PIAA State Runner-up @ (120lbs.) for Shamokin High.

∙ Q & A WELKER INTERVIEW FOREWORD:
by PA Wrestling's Tom Elling...

∙Tom Elling

  "Billy Welker is one of the best known wrestling figures in West Virginia, having
served as that state's head of officials for many years.  That said, Billy has
never forgotten his roots in Pennsylvania wrestling.  He was a PIAA State
Champion in '63 under Coaches Mal Paul and "Beans" Weaver.  He still makes
an annual summer trek back to his hometown of Shamokin and manages to
find time for a morning round of golf with me.  I consider Billy Welker a
treasured friend.  Once again, wrestling has provided that pathway."   Tom Elling
▪ note: Tom Elling is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Coach and Official Contributor.

  NEW: 10/4/10 - PAWR Audio/Video Interview w/Dr. Bill Welker.

DR. BILL WELKER BIO

  ∙Dr. Bill Welker was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a scholastic wrestler on April 25, 2010 at State College, PA.  Dr. Welker is only the third wrestler from Shamokin High School to be inducted into this prestigious hall. (Dr. Ken Faust '97 & George Edwards '05 are the others)  Shamokin's High School wrestling program dates back to 1928!


  Dr. Welker is a 1965 graduate of Shamokin High School - and was a three-time Sectional Champion, a three-time District IV Champion, a two-time Northeastern Regional Champion - and was a 1963 PIAA State Wrestling Champion @ 95lbs. and a 1965 PIAA State Wrestling runner-up to West York High School's Dana Luckenbaugh (4-3) @ 112lbs.  Dr. Welker was the last Shamokin HS wrestler to compete in a "Greyhound" uniform under legendary hall of fame coaches - Mal Paul and Lyman "Beans" Weaver... before the school consolidated with Coal Township HS in the fall of 1965.  Dr. Bill Welker amassed 83 high school victories in his storied career!  Dr. Welker's cousin, Harold Welker, was a PIAA State Wrestling Champion in 1938 @ 145lbs. in the first state championship held at Penn State's Rec Hall.  Dr. Welker's brother, Floyd Welker, won a PIAA State Wrestling Championship in 1959 @ 120lbs.!!

∙ 1963 PIAA State Wrestling Champion - Bill Welker.
Shamokin Indians Wrestling Hall of Fame


  Dr. Bill Welker graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS and Master's degree.  After PITT, Dr. Welker coached wrestling in West Virginia for ten years, producing three AAA State Championship Teams at Wheeling Park High School.  Dr. Welker was named one of the top scholastic coaches in the country by Scholastic Wrestling News in 1979.  Dr. Welker then spent the next twenty-five years as a mat official and has been the state rules interpreter and supervisor of state tournament officials since 1989.  As an interpreter, he initiated a NFHS pilot study on the "Five-minute Blood Time Limitation" in '93... which became a rule in '96.  In 2001, the NFHS named Dr. Welker the Mideast Sec. II Distinguished Official of the Year.  Dr. Welker has published over 600 articles on the art and science of wrestling since 1974, and is the editor and chapter author of THE WRESTLING DRILL BOOK - published in 2005.  In 2008, Dr. Welker produced THE PANCAKE TAKEDOWN SERIES DVD.  Wrestling USA Magazine has honored Dr. Welker as the National Wrestling Sportswriter of the Year '87, WV Wrestling Man of the Year '01, National Official of the Year '02 and the Master of Wrestling Award '08.


  Dr. Bill Welker is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his lifetime service as a coach and as an official.  West Virginia National Wrestling Hall of Fame - HERE!


  Dr. Bill Welker earned his doctorate in reading education from West Virginia University in 1989, and in 2009 he retired after 40 years as a K-12 classroom teacher and Dean of Students.  In 2009, Dr. Welker was awarded the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year.  Dr. Welker and his lovely wife Peggy reside in Wheeling, WV.  They have four children (Bill, Rick, Tiffany, Dan-E.) and twelve grandchildren (Cory, Drew, Chase, Camden Rose, Cheyenne, Canon, Shanen, Aaliyah, Vander, Nathan, Lillian Grace and Molly Margaret).


  Over the last three years, Dr. Welker has set up one-day wrestling clinics for Bobby Douglas and himself.  Next November, Dr. Welker and Bobby Douglas (former Arizona State & Iowa State University Head Wrestling Coach) will be conducting a clinic for Mt. Carmel's wrestlers in conjunction with Shamokin High School!

Bobby Douglas
∙ 1992 & 2004 Olympic Wrestling Coach

  Also, Dr. Welker is a "wrestling expert witness" for civil suits regarding coaches and officials.  One of Dr. Bill Welker's latest articles on "Crowd Control" is HERE!

∙ 10/25/09 West Virginia Wrestling 7th Annual "Hall of Fame" Day Banquet

∙ Don Lehman, owner and webmaster of westyorkwrestlingalumni.com asked Dr. Bill Welker for a Q & A interview!

Don Lehman
Don Lehman
Webmaster, Archivist & Owner of westyorkwrestlingalumni.com

DR. BILL WELKER
WYWA INTERVIEW... w/Don Lehman
BW - Bill Welker       DL - Don Lehman


  Don Lehman

DL - After reading your resume, I guess I can safely say that the sport of wrestling has been a huge part of your entire life!  At what age did you take up the sport of wrestling... and who were your early mentors up in the Shamokin area of Pennsylvania?
BW - I began wrestling in the third grade.  We had a six-week wrestling program in elementary school which concluded with an intra-squad tournament in the high school gym sponsored by the Key Club.  Varsity wrestlers were the officials and no one ever complained.

My coaches were Mr. Delbaugh, Mr. Artman, Mr. Dapra (state runner-up) and Mr. Cawthern (regional champion).  They taught us only the basics, absolutely no fancy stuff.  But, what was just as unique, none of them had a son on the team.  They coached out of their love for the sport, not to protect the interests of their off-spring, which you often witness today.
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DL - Dr. Welker, your wrestling accomplishments at Shamokin HS are exceptional ... 85 high school victories in a three-year span with three Sectional titles, three District IV titles, two Northeastern Regional titles, a PIAA State second place and a PIAA State title!  I know you give a lot of credit for your success to Coach Mal Paul and Coach Lyman "Beans" Weaver of Shamokin HS.  Tell me a little about the technique drilling and physical training emphasized and taught by these two fine gentlemen during your high school career.
BW - I can still remember the first day I walked into the Shamokin High School wrestling room.  I was in awe with the two icons of Shamokin's "Golden Age" of wrestling - Mal Paul and Lyman "Beans" Weaver.  Their success as wrestling coaches was their emphasis on drill work, be it takedowns, rides and pinning combinations, or escapes and reversals.

We were introduced to situation wrestling, round robin workouts and chain wrestling on the bottom.  Back then, it wasn't one escape or reversal move and stop, but combinations of escape-reversal maneuvers, constantly moving and changing directions.

Their primary area of emphasis was takedown instruction.  In fact, our adversaries referred to the Shamokin "Greyhound" wrestling team as "Double Leg" High School.

Finally, when it came to physical training, they kept us moving all the time.  If we weren't wrestling, we were running.  If we weren't running, we were climbing ropes multiple times, arms only.  In essence, we were continually moving throughout the entire practice.  No wonder Coach Mal Paul and his assistant Lyman "Beans" Weaver were both inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Pennsylvania Chapter.  They were truly "masters of the mat sport."
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DL - Did you do any off-season training, such as weight-lifting or running... to prepare for the sport of wrestling?                                                                           
BW - Unlike today's philosophy of just specializing in one sport, we in the 1960's were influenced by our coaches to participant in various sports during the course of the year.

I also participated in football as a junior high student.  In high school, I played baseball and golfed off-season; we didn't have a track program at the time.  I also vaguely remember lifting weights three days a week and running in the summer.

Whereas contemporary coaches place emphasis on their wrestlers competing in various off-season tournaments, our mentors stressed attendance at summertime wrestling clinics to fine tone our mat skills.  My clinic mentors included the likes of Chris Poff, Edwin Peery (3-time NCAA Wrestling Champion), Henry "Red" Campbell, LeRoy Alitz (Army's Hall of Fame coach), and Gerry Leeman (Lehigh's legendary mat mentor, Olympic Sliver Medalist and NCAA Wrestling Champion).  I was indeed surrounded by the best coaches during my competitive days.

My advice to contemporary wrestlers who attend clinics - don't try to learn as many new moves as you can, but instead (1) observe the clinicians carefully when they are demonstrating moves you use to see how you can execute them more effectively and (2) take home one new wrestling maneuver in each area of wrestling to add it to your total mat repertoire of moves.
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DL - You won Sectional, District, Regional titles and were in the PIAA State finals twice... as a sophomore (when you won the '63 95lb. PIAA title) and, as a senior ('65 PIAA State 2nd @ 112lbs.) at Shamokin HS.  What happened in your junior year '64... after your District IV title?
BW - Allow me to begin with the following quote: "Success can test one's mettle as surely as the strongest adversity."

After winning PIAA states in 1963 as a 95-pounder, the "monkey was off my back."  With a cousin who won states the first year of its existence (Harold Welker: 145-pound in 1938) and a brother, Floyd, who was a PIAA state champion at 120 pounds in 1959, I internally felt the pressure of others expecting me to accomplish the same feat.  I remember hugging my brother, with tears in my eyes, immediately after winning states, thinking "the monkey is finally off my back."  With that said, I think I also began believing my press, did not train as hard during the off-season and ate like a "pig."  The outcome - a horrendous junior year on the mats.  Truly, "Success does test one's mettle."

As a junior, I had a record of 16-4, was pinned in the finals at the Boiling Springs Christmas Tournament (which I easily won in 1962), and was upset in the Sectional finals in 1964.  It's a season on the mats I wish would disappear!
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DL - As a senior, you reached the 1965 112lb. PIAA State Wrestling finals... and your opponent was West York High School's Dana Luckenbaugh.  What did you and your coaches know about Dana before the match... and, walk me through your mental approach?
BW - Needless to say, I got my act together again my senior year ('65) and also was back in good graces with my coaches.  Coach Paul and Coach Weaver were exceptional when it came to scouting our opponents.  Their analytical abilities in evaluating our adversaries mat skills were nonpareil.

I don't remember the specifics of our strategy for wrestling Dana Luckenbaugh, but I do know my general "game plan" for the match.  I was aware that Dana was an exceptional pinner, strong and very aggressive.  My strategy was to slow down the pace of the match to get Dana away from his style of wrestling.  In other words, I wanted to keep him off-balance regarding the tactics he normally felt comfortable with during a match.  My goal was to keep the match close until the third period and then let loose.  Everything worked as planned when Dana and I reached the final stanza of the bout.  In fact, the score was tied at that point. (3-3 at the end of the second period)
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DL - OK, I know from memory that the score was tied 3-3 with Dana assuming the "top" position for the 2-minute third and final period.  What was your thought process?  I know if you escape or reverse Dana... you win, but Dana rides you out for the one point "riding time" point and prevails 4-3.  You had to be devastated!?!
note: Dana Luckenbaugh was West York HS's and York County's 1st PIAA State Champion!
BW - Yes, I was.  I had the match in the grasp of my hands.  I knew I previously escaped from Dana, and all was going according to my plan.  Being in the down position was perfect; rarely has an opponent ever held me down.  But then I made the fatal mistake that all great wrestlers dread happening during a match, I HESITATED!  As I mentioned before, Dana was strong.  He rode me out, acquired one-point for riding time, and was crowned the 112-pound PIAA State Champion in 1965.  Thus, began the dynasty of the Luckenbaugh family and the ending of the Welker family dynasty on the Pennsylvania mats.

For years after the bout, I lamented the mistake I made in my final high school match.  But as time passed, I became more philosophical regarding my scholastic career.  In fact, I now count my blessings.  God was so good to the Welker brothers, giving us physical abilities and the opportunity to experience a state championship in America's most respected scholastic wrestling state - Pennsylvania!
note: Don, I must admit that when you told me Dana had passed away, I was deeply affected by the sad news.  I so wanted to meet him again and talk about the "good old days" on the mats, as so many wrestlers do with the adversary they wrestled and so dearly respected.  Bill
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DL - How do you feel about "riding time" - since your last high school loss was determined by that old HS rule?  Would you like to see it implemented again in high school?
note: riding time is still used in college wrestling.
BW - To be honest, I don't have any strong opinions one way or the other.  Back in my competitive days, the emphasis was on riding your opponent.  Today, it is all about pinning one's adversary.  So, I guess with today's strong emphasis on the fall in scholastic wrestling, incorporating "riding time" would in essence be counterproductive.
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DL - Your older brother Floyd Welker won a PIAA State Wrestling title in 1959 @ 120lbs.  Did you battle with Floyd on the Welker living room floor?  And, I'm sure your parents were very proud of both of your efforts -  what was it like to have two PIAA State Champions in the same family?
BW - Yes, Floyd and I spent many a night after practice wrestling on the living room floor under the direction of our Dad.  Two humorous incidents come to mind.

One evening as we were working on moves, we broke one of Mom's favorite vases.  Dad took the blunt of that domestic disaster.  And, Mom forgave him... eventually!  The second incident occurred when Floyd was wrestling for Penn State under legendary PSU Coach Dr. Bill Koll.  During a break from school, Floyd was showing me a new move he learned from Coach Koll.  Looking on, Dad asserted, "Floyd, that move will never work."  So Floyd and Dad started wrestling full speed with Floyd executing the new maneuver, placing Dad on his back.  Dad sheepishly looked up at Floyd and said, "Maybe it will work."

Yes, Dad and Mom were very proud of us.  In fact, Floyd and I are still the only brother-team to have won states in our high school's (Shamokin) wrestling history.
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DL - Dr. Welker, you went from Shamokin High School to the University of Pittsburgh.   Did you wrestle at PITT, and if so, how did you do at that higher level of competition?
BW - Let's first digress a bit.  My high school years were the best years of my life.  I had a great time.  Unfortunately, classes were a nuisance to me, and my grades proved it.  I think I graduated in the top 95% of my Shamokin class!   Then, there's the area of student behavior; I was not the perfect student.  I was kicked out of chorus for talking too much.  My band experience was short-lived as the band director told me to never step foot in the band room again my sophomore year... for not paying attention and messing up for the umpteenth time.  I was expelled from Key Club my junior year for missing too many meetings.  And finally, I was suspended from school for three days my senior year for being caught BY THE PRINCIPAL playing "hooky."  I must say Dad was not pleased at all with my suspension since he was a member of the school board at the time!

Needless to say, I was accepted by the University of Pittsburgh, but on probation.  On a positive note, years later as a teacher, my misdeeds in high school were a plus.  The students never got away with anything in my classrooms.  I frequently told my students over the years, "I have done everything you're thinking about doing, and much more.  Kids, you can't snow the snowman!"

Now, to a more serious topic - my failure as a college wrestler.  I could make the excuse that my motorcycle accident after my freshman year in college ended my wrestling career.  But I won't.  I could blame it on an injustice that occurred to me at PITT.  But I won't.  The plain truth is I lost "desire" to wrestle.  What caused this?  My excessive and improper dieting for years was my downfall as a wrestler.  Allow me to digress again.  The year I won PA states at 95 pounds I weighed in prior to practice at 113 pounds the Monday before Sectionals.  Coach Mal Paul was not happy and suggested that my alternate Harry Weinhofer (eventual state champ himself in '66) wrestle at 95 pounds.  I told Coach Paul I would be down to weight by Friday's Sectional weigh-in.  Coach Paul simply said, "You better be,"  I had to lose over 15 pounds in less than 5 days.  At Friday's Sectional weigh-in, I was 2 1/2 pounds under weight!

Yes, I lost my desire due to dieting, but never my love for wrestling.  Since then, I have devoted my entire adult life as a wrestling enthusiast in promoting the mat sport, and teaching wrestlers proper "weight-watching" habits.  I am still doing so.  I don't want any wrestler to make the same mistakes I did as a wrestler.  I hope in some way over the last four decades, I have redeemed myself regarding the sport I so deeply love - Wrestling.
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DL - You then moved to West Virginia where you taught and coached for ten years at Wheeling Park High School.  Did you see any difference between Pennsylvania and West Virginia wrestlers?
BW - Don, the only difference I noticed was that West Virginia was in need of more wrestling coaches when I arrived in 1970.  Don't get me wrong, there were some outstanding coaches at the high school level who taught me more tricks of the trade.  What they (WV) were in need of at that time were more qualified junior high coaches, and they acquired them over the years.  You must also realize that West Virginia is a much smaller state with only 80 schools that have wrestling.  But, I have watched our Mountain State wrestlers compete with the best and give a strong showing.  Wrestlers from West Virginia are beginning to make a name for themselves nationally.  Keep in mind, last year at the 2009 Pittsburgh Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, the West Virginia Team defeated the WPIAL Team 24-21, in the Preliminary Event.  We're holding our own and getting better every year!
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DL - After coaching, you became a wrestling official for twenty-five years!  What is the most difficult part of being a high school or college wrestling official?
BW - To be honest, ever since high school I always liked officiating.  In fact, Coach Paul had me referee our wrestle-offs.  My school day idol as an official is '79 PWCA Hall-of-Famer Glenn Flegal.  I enjoyed watching his outstanding officiating mechanics during the many dual meets he arbitrated at our school.

Of course, the most difficult aspect of officiating is "stalling."  You will NEVER get two officials to call stalling the same way.  All one can ask for is consistency of each individual official regarding stalling in our sport.  Speaking of consistency, I remember officiating a semi-finals match at states a few years back.  After the second period, one of the coaches yelled, "Welker, you've been terrible for two periods, don't get good on me in the third period!"  I didn't.  Now, that's what I call consistency!
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DL - You earned a prestigious doctorate degree from West Virginia University in 1989... amassed 40 years as a high school teacher, and have a fantastic huge family!  Any members of the Welker family involved in the sport of wrestling these days?
BW - Well, let me begin by saying that all three of my sons wrestled.  The most successful was my oldest, Bill.  He was a three-time all-state wrestler.  His signature move was, you might have guessed it, the Pancake Takedown!  But, my second son, Rick, loved wrestling the most.  He has an uncanny understanding of the various strategies that could be incorporated regarding the sport as a coach.  As a matter of fact, he is again coaching this year at the middle school level.  Last year the team only had four wrestlers, but Rick began recruiting members of the football team and has twenty-five kids out this year for wrestling.  At present, his team is 6-0 in dual meet action and they won the second place trophy at a 14-team tournament in Ohio.  Unfortunately, he was unable to find a competent assistant coach, so finally "yours truly" became his assistant.  I am learning from him.

My youngest son, Dan-E., plans to teach my grandson Vander to wrestle.  But, before that can happen, Dan-E. must complete his third tour of duty in Iraq.  Please keep him in your prayers.

As for my daughter Tiffany, if she never sees another mat it will be too soon.  She says she's done with those day-long tournaments and her son Nate will never wrestle.  But, I noticed she's becoming interested again since her brother and her Dad have begun coaching together.
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DL - Dr. Welker, you have written a superb book - The Wrestling Drill Book, with a foreword by the legendary Bobby Douglas.  You then put together a Pancake Series Takedown DVD... please share a little about those ventures and your association with Bobby Douglas! 
BW - Both projects were labors of love.  I could never have afforded to undertake such endeavors on a teacher's salary.  With the book, I was contacted by an acquisition editor from Human Kinetics Publishers in 2003.  My job was to find the appropriate coaches for each drill-area chapter, edit their work, and write the final chapter that would bring it all together in a logical format.  It took over two years to reach fruition, and in the fall of 2005, it was marketed.

As for the DVD, that came about after a clinic I conducted in Indiana, PA.  Dr. Rick Fanella organized the clinic and enjoyed my Pancake Takedown Series very much.  A chiropractor by profession, Dr. Fanella and his cousin Dan are partners in the production company, Fanella Media.  Rick said, "Bill, I would love to produce a DVD on your Pancake Takedown Series."  I said "Okay" and in the fall of 2008 the DVD was distributed nationally.  As I said previously, both endeavors were a joy to do.  They were opportunities I never thought would happen.  I have been blessed.

As for working with Bobby Douglas on the clinic trek, what can one say about him except that he's done it all - world class wrestler and coach, unbelievable clinician (He loves working with younger kids) and speaker... and, most importantly, a man of character who has taught me so much about wrestling and life on our travels.  Coach Douglas wants me to write his biography; I don't know if I'm worthy!
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DL - On April 25, 2010 - you will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame as an accomplished scholastic wrestler!  What feelings did you experience when you received the call from Norm Palovcsik of the PWCA?
note: Clearfield's Norm Palovcsik dec. West York's Bill Luckenbaugh in the 1968 120lb. PIAA State Wrestling Championship Finals, 11-8.
BW - As a native Pennsylvania wrestler, I was quite honored and very excited.  You see, in 1973, I watched my Coach Mal Paul being inducted into the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame at the Harrisburg Farm Show Arena.  At that moment, I dreamed of someday entering the "Hall" with him.  In April that dream will come true.  My family and I are anxiously looking forward to this special occasion.
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DL - Dr. Welker, define a "wrestling expert witness" for civil suits (regarding coaches and officials) and how does it relate to today's sport of wrestling... and, could you give me an example of this litigious process?
BW - Well, it's like any other expert witness you see on TV, only my area of expertise is wrestling.  Since I will only take cases in which I am defending a coach or referee, my job is to explain authoritatively why they were not negligent, etc.  It involves reading a lot of legal documents, such as depositions, and writing my thoughts on them; why in my opinion they are right or wrong due to my experiences in wrestling.

A few years ago, I was asked by a Texas law firm to represent the plaintiffs who were suing two officials because their son was injured during a wrestling meet.  I immediately replied that I was not interested.  Unfortunately, now people are suing coaches and officials in all sports.  Should they begin winning the lawsuits, who would want to take the chance of coaching or officiating in the future.  It's very true, we have become a "sue happy" country.  Ultimately, it is the kids who will suffer.
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DL - Dr. Welker, I appreciate your time and insight into this great sport of wrestling which you are a huge part of!  I wish I could have joined you and your good friend Tom Elling in Lock Haven this summer for golf... maybe next year!  Thanks again, Bill and congratulations on your induction into the PWCA 2010 Hall of Fame class.
BW - Don, it has been an extreme pleasure.  I attribute any success that I have had in my life to being surrounded by people of strong religious character and positive ideals - my parents, my grandparents, my teachers, my coaches and my devoted wife Peggy.  Without them persistently guiding me in the right direction, I don't know what might have happened to me.  Furthermore, after my father and high school coaches passed away, another man took their place over the last few years who continued to teach me with his wisdom regarding wrestling and life.  That man is Tom Elling.  He, too, is a man who loves wrestling, but most importantly, he is a man of character who has given me "pearls" in which to live by.


note: Tom Elling is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Coach and Official Contributor.

∙ Finally, I thank God for all His blessings.  Though I don't deserve His "Grace," I thank Him everyday.  I think my mom's total devotion to God has had a lot to do with it.
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1965 PIAA State 112lb. Championship Finals.
∙ Shamokin High School's Bill Welker (top) rides West York's 112lb.
Dana Luckenbaugh.  Luckenbaugh secured a riding time point in the final
period to gain a 4-3 win and become West York's first state champion!
▪ photo submitted by Dr. Bill Welker


∙ Shamokin High School Hall of Fame Wrestling Coaches.
(L-R) Lyman "Beans" Weaver & Mal Paul.


∙ Shamokin's Bill Welker - '63 PIAA State Wrestling Champion.

Please Read - Dr. Bill Welker's "Thoughts on Wrestling!"
∙ With OVER 600 articles!  CLICK HERE!


▪ Bill Welker Wrestling Pancake Takedown DVD


▪ The Wrestling Drill Book by Dr. Bill Welker


ORDER HERE!
▪ THE WRESTLING DRILL BOOK - 2ND EDITION PAGE by Dr. Welker


▪ Dr. Bill Welker was inducted into the 2010 PWCA
(Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association) Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame - Induction was on April 25, 2010 in State College, PA.
Also inducted - Rick Stuyvesant, Sylvester Terkay, Stan Dubel,
Dick Stauffer, Jeff Catrabone, Bill Cramp, Bob Funk, Vertus Jones,
John Strittmatter, Rande Stottlemeyer & John S. "Moc" Toggas.

∙ Read... THE WELKER FAMILY STORY by Dr. Bill Welker.



▪ 3/15/10 issue of WRESTLING USA Magazine - features a portion of
of the westyorkwrestlingalumni.com interview with Dr. Bill Welker!
∙ March 15 issue Volume 45 Number 8 - HERE!


▪ Welker's tabbed as National Wrestling Sportswriters of the Year ▪ HERE!

▪ You can e-mail Dr. Bill Welker HERE!

▪ MORE WY WRESTLING ALUMNI INTERVIEWS